The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-01
AN UNUSUAL WOMAN,
WHO COUNTS HER MATRIMONIAL
VICTIMS BY HUNDREDS,
Aud Who Played Her Role Of Mar
rage Agent In the United States
as Well as Europe.

PARIS, March ga Paris police
count decided on Thursday a very
amusing marriage agency case, the
heroine of which, Miss Lesl, had al
ready exercised the same industry in
New York, Boston, and place called
Bethlehem somewhere in the United
States. Miss Leal is very pretty
brunette, tall ard gracefully formed.
Her dress in court was of the latest
fashion. Il appear, from the evi
mortier started a marriage agency in
Paris two years ago in the Boulevard
Saint GERMAN. Miss Leal was pre-.
scented to over fifty different men, of
all ages, ranging from 20 to 20, to all
OF whom chs became engaged. She
managed to reap a rich harvest Of
wedding presents, and when it hap
pened that any OF her fi4nces we're
unwilling to break off the engage
ment she went so far as to marry
them, carrying them over to England
for the purpose. Miss Leal after ward set
up another matrimonial agency ia the
Rue Washington, right in the center
OF the American quarter Of Paris, near
the Champs Elysees. Her partner in
the new establishment was yenera-
BILE ald matronlike looking woman
named Lsrrju. Even the judges
burst out laughing in court on Thurs
DAY as witness after witness filed up
and related their piquant experiences.
The first witness, named Lafevre, was
q little red faced bank clerk from
Limoges. The following is his testi-
mony:
81 read ia the newspapers an adj
vertisement demanding a young man,
without fortune, to be the husband Of
young lady who had fortune of
1,500,000 francs, but whose moral
charac er had petite tsche.
81 at once answered the advertise
ment, proposing myself as a sutton.
Nine. Demoitier wrote to me by re-
turn Of post, taying tia. the lady
wisht i'd to see me to judge of my per-
sonsl apr lrance before marrying me.
So ] started for Paris, and Nine. De-
mortier introduced nae to the pre-
tended mother of the young lady-a
respec able looking lady of about 81.
Next day l was introduced to my
fanCee-Miss Leal. I YVES perfectly
charmed with her.
"Mme. Demortier told me l must
buy some jewelry for my filncee'as a
present. l went at once and b,ught
800 francs wCr b OF rings AID brooches,
ard returned and showed them to
Nine. Damortier, who sad that it was
very little for young Il " whose dot
wa3 1900, 90 flames. l went off
aga to The jeweler and bought 1000
francs worth of presens. The mar
iags was fixed fJr January 18th.
My tiancee and her mother mean
while went TO London. Later Nine.
Damortier took me over to London,
where, for eight days, / accompanied
Nine. Demortier, my iancee and my
future mother-in.law, to all the thea
ters and the most expensive entertain.
ments. Then we all returned to Paris
again at my expense. They wished to
make the acquaintance of my family
at once wrote to my mother and
aunt to come to Paris. They did 30,
and We all met at a grand family ban
quet, l as usual paying The bill. Then
my aunt discovered that my fancee
was an adventures, and after Miss
Lesl had addressed most violent
language to my aunt and to my
mother, we thres returned to Limo.
ges."
Another witness was M. Francois
BoisseaH, Lyons merchant. He said:
81 answered an advertisement in the |
papers 10 which young girl with a
dowIy of 800, 900 francs offered herself |
in marriage. Nine. Demorier made |
me pay $50 francs commission to be-
gin With. She then took me to the |
opera, where my fiance was pointed
out to me. She occupied a first tier
box and was accom- panied by an aged
woman, whom l was told was her
aunt, the widow of Spanish General"
Here one Of the judges interrupted
with the remark 1.-THE evidence
shows that on the same evening there
were four of you at the opera, all adj
miring tho same fnacee." The next
witness was NJ, Labsolu, a Partisan
hairdresser. He related the same ex-
psTience5 as M. Boissesu, except that
the Opera Comique was chosen in his
case instead of the opera to give him
al opportunity Of fesing his fiancee.
Nj. Desire Dsuchot, a stock broker
with large blond beard and blue
eyes, testified: "Mme. Demortier pre-
scented me to Miss Leal as the niece of
an English lord and an heiress to AGO.
900 francs. / wanted to marry her
right off. paid at once small COM
mission CT about 200 francs, and in
vitsd the whole parry TO the thenter.
We then went to London, where we
were married before registrar. We
had delightful honeymoon, and in a
few days returned to Paris"
Judge-YoU even went go far as to
adopt Miss Leafs natural child.
Observation-Disclosures lie JUICE, l con-
scented to this sacrifice because be-
lieved the mother to be very rich.
Thirty other witnesses followed, all
relating the same story with amusing
The Judge sentenced Miss
Leal to four months imprisonment,
and Nine. Demortier, in default, as
the police were unable to find her, to
three years imprisonment. When
sentence had been pronounced Miss
Leal turned pale and swore at the
Judges in English. She was dragged
from the courtroom between two
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